Fire and Shadows
by Surrendered to Christ
Summary: Fireheart finds a strange kit in the forest. So beings his role in a story that started generations ago. Warriors xover with YGO.
1. Chapter 1

This is a crossoverbetween Warriors andYu-Gi-Oh! If you don't like either one fandom or the other…I encourage you to read anyway, because they share the spotlight.

This fic was previously posted in the YGO section. And then I discovered the existance of the Warriors section. It was not there when I first publlished this fic well over a year ago. So, I moved it!

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or the Warriors series.

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_Fire and Shadows_

_Chapter 1_

A warm breeze blew through the clearing of the ThunderClan camp. Fireheart raised his nose to the breeze, happily taking in the scents of green-leaf that it carried. The sun blazed in the sky, its warmth bringing life back into the forest after the bitter leaf-bare. Already the trees were filled with young and budding greens and prey was plentiful once again. The Clan was well fed and strong. They had survived another leaf-bare. Their warriors were healthier than any cat could have hoped, as were their apprentices, who were all growing fast. There were new kits in the nursery, and kits were always a good sign.

Fireheart gave a content sigh. Clan life was good, and he wouldn't trade it for anything else that could be offered.

"Fireheart, Fireheart!"

Fireheart looked around to see his young apprentice racing up to him. Cloudpaw's eyes, as always, were gleaming with unsuppressed excitement. Fireheart sometimes had a hard time fathoming just _how_ it was possible his body could contain so much energy.

"Fireheart!" the young cat cried once again, as if afraid his mentor hadn't heard him the first two times, sliding to a stop in front of the older cat. "Come on, Fireheart, let's go hunting!"

Fireheart chuckled at his apprentice's eagerness. Annoying though it could be, it was also contagious. His pulled himself to his paws and gave his shoulder a quick lick. Turning back to the white cat in front of him, he gave a small smile. "Alright, Cloudpaw, lets go. A little more fresh-kill won't hurt." He padded towards the camp entrance. Cloudpaw matched his pace for about two seconds, before becoming impatient and racing ahead. Fireheart shook his head, and went off after the hyper young cat.

"I'm quite sure _I _was never that energetic," he sighed to himself.

"I wouldn't say that," a familiar voice replied.

Fireheart looked around to see his friend Graystripe trotting up to him. The other cat's amusement clearly showed in his amber eyes. "I'd say you were probably every bit as energetic as he is now," Graystripe informed him.

Fireheart snorted. "Graystripe, if I was 'every bit as energetic as he is now' as you say I was, then _you_ must have been a _hundred_ times as energetic."

"Oh, very funny," his friend retorted. "If you don't hurry up, you'll never catch him."

"Change the subject, why don't you," Fireheart teased. "Come on. It'll be easier to handle him with two cats instead of one."

"I was hoping you'd say that," Graystripe replied enthusiastically, bounding after him, acting rather like an apprentice himself.

They caught up to Cloudpaw halfway to the Towleg place. The young cat was sniffing at the ground when Fireheart hurried up to his apprentice. "Cloudpaw, how many times must I tell you _not_ to run off like that?" the warrior asked in an exasperated voice.

Cloudpaw looked up, and decided to ignore his mentor's last comment. "Fireheart, smell here. It doesn't smell like any prey _I've_ ever scented," the white-haired cat said, stepping back.

Fireheart frowned, and bend down to sniff the spot Cloudpaw had indicated. The unfamiliar scent tickled his nose. Cloudpaw was right. It definitely did not smell like any prey he had ever encountered. In fact, if he didn't know any better, he'd say if was…a cat?

Fireheart breathed deeper. The more he thought about it, the more he felt sure of his theory. But what was this cat doing in ThunderClan territory? From its scent, Fireheart could tell it didn't belong to any of the four Clans of the forest. It wasn't a kittypet like his sister, or a rouge, or a loner that live outside the forest, like his friend Ravenpaw. Its scent was one that he had never detected on a cat before, and it caused the hairs on his back to prickle uncomfortably.

"Graystripe, does this smell familiar to you?" Fireheart asked, puzzled.

The gray warrior came up along side him, and also bended his nose to the ground. After a pause, he looked up "I'm sure it's a cat-" Fireheart nodded in agreement. "-but I can't tell where it came from."

"What do we do?" Cloudpaw ask, his tail twitching. Without waiting for an answer, he rushed on. "Let's attack it! A strange cat on _our_ territory! We gotta strike first before it takes our prey! Or attacks us!"

Fireheart had to agree. It was the best thing to do. They couldn't have an intruder on their land. Prey may be plentiful but it was still precious. Without a word, he began to track the outsider's scent. It was an easy enough task. The trail was fresh. It led him to a thick patch of shrubbery at the base of a tree. The wind was blowing towards him, and he smelled the stranger's foreign scent clearly.

Fireheart dropped to a hunter's crouch. He tensed his muscles, paused, and sprang.

He dropped onto his enemy with deadly accuracy. With his claws unsheathed, teeth bared and ginger fur bristled, he was every bit the picture of an angry feline in a protective rage, and he let out a threatening hiss as he struck. His opponent let out a wail of terror when he made contact.

Fireheart paused. Wait. Something wasn't right. He had expected a startled noise, then a resistance, but…

He looked down, and seeing his 'enemy' for the first time, his felt horror instantly surge through his veins.

Looking up at him with wide, terrified eyes was a little kit. It didn't even look old enough to be separated from its mother. The little cat was completely black, except for a three golden lighting-shaped stripes running from his forehead down between his ears to the back of his head, ending just above his neck. Looking closer, Fireheart saw little flecks of red that dotted his otherwise dark coat. The warrior noticed with not small amount of surprise that the kit's fear-filled eyes were an unusual crimson color. It was letting out little whimpers as it tried to make itself as small as possible.

Fireheart couldn't do anything but stare. Relief flooded through him when he realized his claws had mostly missed, due to the fact that he had expected a much larger target. There was just a shallow scratch on one of the little kit's shoulders.

"Fireheart?" Graystripe called as he came to join his friend. He had obviously gotten tired of waiting outside – Fireheart absentmindedly though that his friend had the patience of an apprentice on its first hunt. Graystripe stopped dead when he saw the little scrape of fur at Fireheart's paws. "Great StarClan! What's a kit doing here!"

Cloudpaw, unable to bear being left out, came charging in on Fireheart's other side. He, being the straightforward and blunt cat that he was, went right up to the little kit after only a moment's pause. Bending down, he cocked his head as he studied the trembling creature. "Fireheart, it's starving. What should we do?"

Fireheart blinked, then shook his head to clear it. "We should get it back to camp. Goldenflower still has milk, she can suckle it. A kit is a kit, no matter where it came from. We can't let it die." He bended down once again and grasped the kit by the scruff of the neck and lifted it. "Come on," he said through a mouthful of fur, signaling with a flick of his tail. They took off, heading back to ThunderClan camp. Fireheart only hoped that they wouldn't be too late to save the little kit's life.


	2. Chapter 2

_Fire and Shadows_

_Chapter 2_

Goldenflower gasped as Fireheart burst through the nursery entrance with Graystripe, Cloudpaw, and Speckletail, the queen who had been guarding the nursery, at his heels.

"I tired to stop them!" Speckletail meowed angrily. "You can't just run in on a queen nursing her kits!" Brindleface, another queen who was in the nursery with her kits, nodded in agreement. "Really, what's gotten into you three?"

Fireheart ignored them. Instead, he hurriedly deposited the little bundle he had been carrying at Goldenflower's side. "Cloudpaw, go get Yellowfang," he ordered. His apprentice turned to obey at once, and dashed out of the nursery as quickly as he had come in. Turning back to the queen in front of him, he meowed urgently, "Goldenflower, can you take one more? We found the kit in the forest alone. He's starving!"

Goldenflower stretched her head to sniff the black kit. Curiosity prompted Speckletail to also came over to inspect the little creature. "Where did it come from? I've never smelled a scent like that on a cat," she meowed doubtfully. "We shouldn't do anything about it until we at least know where it came from!"

Fireheart held his breath. Goldenflower was the only queen still nursing her kits. If she didn't agree, the poor kit was doomed.

The queen looked up at Fireheart. "You're right, he is starving," she meowed. Looking back down at the pathetic little kit, she sighed. "How can I say no? I've still got plenty of milk, and he'll surely die if someone doesn't suckle him soon." With that, she reached over and nudged the kit to her side. The black kit paused, as if unsure of what to do. Then his nose touched a nipple and some milk flowed out. At once, he opened his mouth and started to suck eagerly. Goldenflower cocked her head, watching the kit, and her expression softened. Lowering her head, she started to lick him warmly.

Once again, Cloudpaw burst through the nursery entrance, this time with the medicine cat Yellowfang and her apprentice, Cinderpaw behind him. Speckletail muttered sometime about cats flooding the nursery, but made no move to leave. Apparently, she was more interested about the strange kit than she would let on.

"What's this Cloudpaw tells me about a kit from nowhere?" the old cat meowed. Without waiting for a reply, she came up next the Fireheart and leaned down to inspect the black kit. After a pause, she asked without looking up, "Where'd he get the scratch, do you know?"

Fireheart lowered his head sheepishly. "Let's just say we're lucky I was expecting a big warrior and not a kit," he replied.

Yellowfang snorted. "It's shallow. That's good. It won't cause any problems. But all the same, Cinderpaw, go get some of the herbs to disinfect a wound. And make sure you get the right one, or StarClan knows I skin you myself."

Cinderpaw nodded and hastily made her exit.

"Where'd you say you found him?" Yellowfang asked, turning her attention back to the suckling kit.

"Near the Twoleg boarder," Fireheart replied. "In a patch of shrubbery."

"Hmph. Well, I can't see anything too wrong with him, aside from the fact that he's starving. He should be okay, as long as he's suckled and kept warm. I'll keep an eye on him for a couple of days, in case he catches a cold. Who knows how long he's been alone. He's not nearly old enough to be separated from his mother. I guess the thing we need to do now is find out where he came from."

Cinderpaw returned with the herbs, and deposited them at Yellowfang's paws. The medicine cat glanced down and nodded in approval. "Now apply them. When you're done, go back to what you were doing before, sorting herbs. I'm going to talk to Bluestar. She needs to know about this. You," she looked pointedly at Fireheart. "Come with me." With that she trotted out of the cramped nursery. Fireheart bid a hasty farewell to the queens and the two apprentices, and hurried after the old she-cat. Graystripe followed his example and left with him. "I'll come too," he said when Fireheart looked at him questioningly.

They came to the entrance of the Clan leader's den. Yellowfang called a greeting, and, after Bluestar gave them permission to come in, they entered and settled themselves in the cave. Bluestar was sitting up, watching them expectantly.

"Bluestar," Yellowfang began after a nod of greeting. "Just now, two of our warriors," she nodded towards Fireheart and Graystripe, who were sitting side by side, "Found a strange kit in our territory. They brought it back, and Goldenflower's suckling it. The kit was found alone, and starving. As they say, we have no idea where it came from. The scent upon it is one I've never scented on a cat before."

Bluestar looked a bit surprised – which was to be expected. One does not find an abandoned kit everyday. Rising to her paws, she said, "Well, I must see this little kit before I say anything else." With that, she left. The others had no choice but to follow.

When they re-entered the nursery, Speckletail grumbled, "Great StarClan! Do you have every other cat in the Clan with you this time!"

Bluestar gave an amused purr. "Now Speckletail, I really must see this little kit for myself. We'll leave you in peace after that." Going up to Goldenflower, she bent down to sniff the kit, which had fallen asleep, full, warm, and content. After a few moments, she straightened and turned to Yellowfang. "You're right. It doesn't smell like any cat I've scented." She looked back at the peacefully sleeping kit, curled up against the queen and her own kits. "Goldenflower, will you take care of him?"

"Of course. He is such a sweet little kit," she purred. It seemed the kit had already won her affection.

"Well, then we shall keep him and raise him to be a ThunderClan warrior. We'll worry about his origins if and when the time comes," Bluestar decided. "Have you decided on a name, Goldenflower?"

The pale queen looked up. Carefully, she said, "Before he fell asleep, I teasing asked him what his name was, not expecting an answer. He's much too young to understand, I thought. But he looked up and mumbled one word before curling up falling asleep."

Fireheart's eyes widened in surprise, and Yellowfang meowed in a shocked voice, "Impossible! He's much too young…"

"What did he say? Was it his name?" Bluestar asked.

"Well, that's the thing; I have no idea what it meant. But he _is _such a sweet kit. I doubt he'll remember anything about his old life when he grows up. Perhaps he's just very intelligent," Goldenflower meowed, her voice getting a bit desperate at the end. She didn't want to give up her newly adopted kit. Fireheart couldn't help feeling troubled. If the kit remembered anything about the past, it could mean divided loyalties when he grew up, and that would not be a good thing. The warrior code clearly said a warrior must be loyal only to his Clan.

"What did he say?" Bluestar repeated her question calmly, every bit the leader the clan needed her to be.

Goldenflower hesitated, obviously unsure of what to do. If her answer was wrong, it could mean the kit being kicked out.

Bluestar saw her hesitation. "Goldenflower, I promise to give this kit a chance. He's young, and you're right; chances are that he'll forget whatever he remembers now when he gets older. But what he said could tell us where he came from."

Goldenflower still looked a bit unsure, but she had no choice but to obey her leader. Bending down, she gave the black kit a lick before locking gazes with Bluestar.

"When I asked him what his name was…he looked at me and replied…" she paused, before forcing herself to complete her sentence.

"…Yami."


	3. Chapter 3

_Fire and Shadows_

_Chapter 3_

"But what does it _mean_?" Fireheart muttered, pacing back and forth at the edge of the camp. Graystripe sat watching him not far away. They'd left Goldenflower with her kits –both old and new – after she'd told them what the strange little kit had said. Bluestar had returned to her den, having kept her promise to let the kit stay. Fireheart was trying to decipher the meaning of the kit's single word. "_Yami_. What does it mean?" He stopped abruptly and rounded on his friend. "Graystripe, do you know?"

The gray warrior sighed. "Fireheart, if I had known, wouldn't I have said something earlier?"

"Oh, yeah…" Fireheart muttered. "Sorry."

"What are you two doing?"

Fireheart turned to see two of the elders, One-eye (the oldest she-cat in ThunderClan) and Dappletail watching them curiously.

"Well, Fireheart here is wrecking his brain trying to figure out the meaning of a little kit's word," Graystripe replied.

"You mean the new kit the cats have been talking about?" Dappletail asked.

"Yes, that's him," Graystripe meowed.

"What's this about a word?" the elder meowed curiously.

"Do _you_ know what it means? That kit said only one word. 'Yami'. What does it mean!" Fireheart demanded, rounding on the old she-cats.

Dappletail looked at him calmly. "I have no idea," she meowed firmly.

"Wait… 'Yami', you said?" One-eye asked, tail twitching in sudden recognition.

"Yes, yes!" Fireheart gasped, feeling hope flood his veins. "Please, One-eye, you must tell me if-"

"Now calm down, youngster, and sit. Listen to my story."

_The four Clans that roam the forest today are the decedents of the first Clans: LionClan, TigerClan, and LeopardClan. StarClan watched over them from above. At first, they were happy, and all was well. But then disagreements erupted, and the Clans started a war that none could win. StarClan became angry, and in its rage wiped out most of the Clans. They wiped out all treachery, all deceit, and all dishonor, and spared only the true warriors, who, in an effort to survive, cast away all previous rivalry and bonded together, thus forming DragonClan. These were the bravest of the brave, and the most honorable. They were the true children of StarClan._

_These warriors started over. They were determined not to revert to the ways of war. They left their old customs, and created a new language, and new traditions. StarClan loved these cats, and granted them special powers that were laced into their blood. All was well, and all was peaceful. That was the Golden Age._

_But it is all too true that all good things must always end. As time wore on, the original members of DragonClan passed away. As generation after generation lived and died, the old habits started to emerge. Those who still honored the traditions and beliefs of DragonClan became alarmed, and swiftly took action, separating themselves from these 'traitors.' And so the forest was split, between DragonClan, and the group that called itself IceClan._

_But IceClan did not live long; there were simply too many different opinions within the group. So they divided into the four Clans we know today._

_No one knows what happened to DragonClan after IceClan split up and took over the forest. They were never seen again. Most knowledge of the Old Ways and Old Language are long lost._

_Some believe that DragonClan is still out there, roaming, and watching over the four Clans that are their children._

It took Fireheart took a moment to absorb all this information.

"But…what does that have to do with the kit?" Graystripe asked, puzzled.

"Now, old as I am, I have gathered some information about the ways of the Old. If I remember correctly, 'Yami' is a word from the Old Language. It means, I believe, 'darkness.'" The old cat nodded, confirming herself.

"Are you sure?"

Fireheart jumped. None of them had heard another cat come up; they had been concentrating hard on the story.

"Yes, Bluestar, quite sure." The old she-cat nodded again.

"According to this, then, one can assume that the little kit is a direct descendent of DragonClan…that certainly explains the strange scent…" the leader looked thoughtful.

"Bluestar? You're not turning him out because of this, are you?" Fireheart meowed nervously.

His leader purred with amusement. "Goodness, Fireheart, you sound like a worried Queen! No, I'm not sending him out, no matter what the others may think. We do need warriors, and if his blood is that of a DragonClan cat, we cannot have a better ally. I'll talk to the Clan about this, and hold a naming ceremony when he's well enough to attend it himself."

The warrior sighed deeply in relief, causing the others to shake their heads in amusement.

xxx

"Cats of ThunderClan." Bluestar sat on the Highrock, looking down at her Clan. It was seven days after the little kit had been discovered, and he was recovering well. In fact, he now sat by his adopted mother and siblings. Bluestar had called the Clan together at sundown for the naming ceremony. Sliverpelt was starting to appear. "As you all know, seven days ago, a kit was discovered on our territory. You are aware, I am sure, of our need for warriors. I have decided to keep this little kit, and raise him as one of the Clan." She eyed the cats steadily. "I expect you to treat him as you would a pure-blood ThunderClan kit."

Fireheart was relieved to note that there wasn't much hostility towards the kit, due to the fact that after all, it was forest-born, and very, very young. Tigerclaw, the deputy, hadn't liked the idea much, and neither had Darkstripe, but most of the Clan was accepting.

Bluestar continued. "I shall now give him a name, to be used until he has earned his apprenticeship." She leaped down form the Highrock, and Goldenflower nudged the kit forward a little. He stumbled slightly, but steadied himself and stood looking up at his new leader.

The blue-gray she-cat lowered her head and gently touched her nose with the small kit's. Raising her head, she announced, "I say these words now, under the eyes of our warrior ancestors. I call upon StarClan to look after this kit, and to protect him, that he will grow up and become an honorable Warrior of ThunderClan." Looking down again, she said solemnly, "By the power given to me, I now give you your name: Shadowkit. ThunderClan welcomes you."

The kit blinked, confused, but sensing the serious atmosphere, stood quietly, still gazing at his new leader.

"Shadowkit!" Goldenflower purred delightedly, saying her adopted kit's name for the first time. "Shadowkit!"

Her clan mates echoed her. "Shadowkit! Shadowkit!" They chanted, accepting the little cat into their lives.

The newly named Shadowkit looked around with wide, crimson eyes, as the cats chanted his new title.


	4. Chapter 4

**Authors's note:** I'm sorry that it took so long to update. Well, here is the next chapter, but I'm really not too happy with the first half of it. It's a bit boring. I spent FOREVER trying to figure out all the warriors and apprentices and kits in the clan. It's _hard!_ And I'm not saying I did too good a job. My sincerest apologies to Erin Hunter for messing up this proud clan…Anyway, I had to make some apprentices into warriors on the spot, because if I didn't, there'd be way too many apprentices. And if I didn't make apprentices, there'd be too many kits. I eliminated Thornpaw from the story (sorry Thornpaw!) to make it that much easier to write this thing. It is that many cats? I don't know. But work with me here. Put up with me please! The story will get better, I promise!

By the way, I hope nobody minds Ocs… There are going to be quite a few.

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or the Warriors series. Give thanks for that.

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_Fire and Shadows_

_Chapter4_

"Tell another story!"

Fireheart perked up his ears upon hearing the voice of a young cat floating out from the elders' den. Although that wasn't too unusual, he, like every other member of his species, was an easy victim of a dangerous little something known as _curiosity_. And so, wondering what was going on, he went over and poked his head in.

Dappletail looked up as he entered. "Hello, Fireheart. Have you come to join us?" she asked with a light purr of amusement.

Fireheart blinked. All the kits were sitting in the den, the elders around them. "Um…story time, I presume?"

Stormkit, Goldenfolwer's eldest, looked at him, nodding eagerly. "Half-tail was just telling us about LionClan," he said, gray eyes shining.

"TigerClan's better." Firkit, his sister, swatted him playfully.

"Is not!" the older one protested.

"Is too!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Hush, both of you. LeopardClan could beat those two any day," Timberkit, the oldest of Brindleface's kits, spoke up, mock glaring at them, his tail swishing around, stirring up dust.

"Can not! LionClan's the best!" Rockkit, his younger brother, butted him.

"That what you think! I _said_, LeopardClan's best, so it is!" Timberkit shot back with a scowl, swiping at his younger brother, who snarled and swatted back.

"Ha! That shows how dumb _you_ are! Rockkit's right, LionClan's the best of them all!" Featherkit, their sister, snapped, drawing herself up to her full height.

"TigerClan can rule over them both!" Moonkit announced, lifting her head high. She was the eldest kit there, as Frostfur's older kit. However, that did not mean she had much of any other kits' respect. They simply ignored her, in the way young kits were prone to, and went on with the squabbling. Soon the air was alive with dust dancing in the afternoon breeze. Leafkit, Moonkit's sister, tried to speak up in the older kit's defense, but her word met empty ears.

"What do you think, Fireheart?"

The warrior, who had been watching the mock-fight with amusement in his amber eyes, looked down in surprise at hearing his opinion asked. Little Shadowkit was gazing at him solemnly with his knowing crimson eyes. Fireheart hadn't noticed him at all, dwarfed as he was by the larger cats around him.

"Well, I haven't given it much thought." He shrugged casually, not wanting to offend anyone. "But remember that they all lived together. Perhaps they were all the same in power."

"That makes sense to me," the black kit nodded sagely, as though anything Fireheart said must be true, simply because Fireheart had said it.

"Hump. How come you're always so practical, Shadowkit?" Stormkit asked teasingly, nudging his foster-brother. The smaller kit growled playfully, batting a paw at him. Stormkit jumped away, and came back with a head-butt.

"Alright, are you kits bothering the elders again?" Goldenflower entered from behind Fireheart, her eyes dancing with both laughter and pure adoration.

"You know, we should enlarge this den if it's going to accommodate us all," Smallear remarked. Fireheart couldn't decide if he was joking or truly annoyed. Perhaps a strange mixture of both, he mused.

Goldenflower chuckled, not taking any offense. "Come on, youngsters. You haven't forgotten the apprenticeship ceremony today?"

"Of course not!" Featherkit bounced up and down on her paws, never staying on the ground for more than a millisecond. "I'm gonna be an apprentice!" she sang joyfully, beginning the fluid movements of an original dance. She was quickly joined by her litter-mates, doing an interesting-looking type of war-dance that went to the chant of, "Appreeeeeeeeeeeeentice! Appreeeeeeeeeeentice! I – am – gonna be an APEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENTICE!"

"Do we even have enough warriors for them all?" One-eye wondered, almost having to shout over the ruckus Brindleface's three kits were making. The three had obviously been practicing their little dance in their own time, because it was the most coordinated piece of childish dancing Fireheart had ever seen. In fact, the warrior was somewhat impressed. Goldenflower's kits were beside themselves with laughter, rolling around on the ground at the display their friends were giving. Moonkit was desperately trying to decide if she wanted to cast away what dignity she had and lower herself enough to join in on this silliness. Leafkit was vainly trying to suppress her giggles, pressing her muzzle against her paws.

"We have enough," Glodenflower meowed in answer to One-eye's question, while trying to convince the kits to calm down. "Come now, it'll start soon. And I suppose you want to look your best." She led the over-energetic kits out in a ragged line.

"I'd better go too. Who knows what kind of trouble Cloudpaw has gotten into since I last saw him?" Fireheart shook his head, starting to head for the exit.

"How long ago was that?" Dappletail called after him.

"Just before I came in!"

The elders let out a couple _merows_ of laughter.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Once again, the cats of ThunderClan gathered around the Highrock, gazing up at Bluestar. The sun was setting, and Silverpelt was appearing. The to-be apprentices sat, with both anticipation and awe gleaming in their eyes, wriggling with impatience. Their mothers had groomed them to perfection.

Bluestar looked down at her Clan as the sun set. "Cats of ThunderClan! Today is a great day for this Clan. After months of a shortage of Warriors, we are at last ready to make some apprentices who have proven themselves in recent battles into full Warriors, and we also gather to honor several young cats who are ready to take on the responsibilities of Apprenticeship. They will be trained to be the future of our Clan. They will be its guardians and loyal followers, carrying on our ways."

She leaped down to the base of the Highrock. "But first, the warriors! Brightpaw, you have shown yourself to be a worthy opponent in battle, and you had a wonderful mentor. Do you accept the responsibility and honor of becoming a Warrior of ThunderClan?"

"I do," Brightpaw replied steadily.

"Then by power invested in me, I give you your warrior name: Brightheart. I call upon StarClan to look upon this young Warrior, and teach her their ways. ThunderClan welcomes you."

Brightpheart licked her leader's shoulder respectfully, and trotted off the join the warriors, who gazed at her with a new level of acceptance. Bluestar turned to the next apprentice.

"Cloudpaw! You have shown yourself a most formidable opponent, and a loyal cat. You had a fine mentor in Fireheart. Do you accept the responsibility and honor of becoming a Warrior of ThunderClan?"

"I do," the white cat replied, blue eyes flashing with the joy of the arrival of the often-fantasized moment. Watching him, Fireheart couldn't help but feel his heart swell with pride.

"Then by the power given me, I give you your warrior name: Cloudtail. I call upon StarClan to look upon this young Warrior, and teach him their ways. ThunderClan welcomes you."

Cloudtail stepped forward to lick his leader's shoulder, and took his new place with the other warriors.

And in this same way, Swiftpaw became Swiftfoot and Brackenpaw became Brackenfur, and ThunderClan was up four Warriors. The very heart of the Clan itself seemed to be swelling up with pride and delight.

Not missing a beat, Bluestar turned to the kits who were nearly busting with eagerness. They sat on the tips of their paws, ready to spring up like a rabbit the moment their names were called. The seriousness of the moment had been lost, drowned by the anticipation of the honor they would finally be receiving. "Now, the apprenticeship ceremonies. First, the eldest of these kits. Moonkit has reached the age of six moons, and is ready at last to become an Apprentice." At the sound of her name, Moonkit had taken two quick steps forward, placing herself across from her leader. There, she stood shivering, whiskers twitching as it dawned on her that this was really, truly, finally happening. "From this day forward, until she earns her Warrior name, Moonkit will be known as Moonpaw. Sandstorm, it is time for your first apprentice. You are honorable and strong, and I expect you to pass on these qualities to this young cat."

Sandstorm's eyes glowed as she stepped forward to touch noses with the newly christened Moonpaw. Then they retreated together and took their places in the crowd once more.

Bluestar spoke again, reciting the ritual words. "Timberkit has shown himself to be worthy of becoming an apprentice." Like Moonkit had, Timberkit came forward with trembling steps. "From this day forward, until he has earned his warrior name, he will be known as Timberpaw. Dustpelt, you, too, are ready for a first apprentice. You have shown great skill and dedication to the Warrior code, and I expect you to pass on these qualities to this young apprentice."

Dustpelt stepped proudly forward, and touched noses with the newly named Timberpaw.

When they had backed up, Bluestar started once more. "Rockkit, you have shown yourself to be worthy of your apprenticeship. From this day forward, until you have earned you Warrior name, you will be known as Rockpaw. Runningwind, you have done well with your previous apprentices, and you are a trusted Warrior. I expect you to pass on your skills to Rockpaw."

Runningwind, like the previous two warriors, touched noses with his new apprentice.

And in this same way, Featherkit became Featherpaw, with Willowpelt as her mentor, and Leafkit became Leafpaw, and Mousefur her mentor.

Bluestar jumped back on to the Highrock now, and spoke up once more, her clear voice ringing over the camp and into each cat's heart. "And so, let us thank StarClan for their gift of these fine new warriors and apprentices! After the time of war and famine, we now enter a time of surpluses! Give thanks!"

"Give thanks!" the clan echoed as one, chorusing together effortlessly to sing that simple melody.

The gathering broke up, each cat going to congratulated the newly appointed cats before heading off to their dens for the night. The new warriors would have to sit in a silent vigil as tradition required.

"When will _we _become apprentices, mother? Why do we have to wait?" Stormkit whined as Goldenflower ushered her three kits back to the nursery.

"Because you're not old enough yet! You still have two and a half moons to go," the Queen replied. "Now come, to bed with the lot of you."

"It sure is great, huh, Fireheart? Four new warriors…Whiteclaw will be able to retire soon!" Graystripe looked happily around. "After so long, we finally have enough cats that we don't have to take three patrols a day."

"It is wonderful, yes…but when leaf-bare comes, what will we do? We can't over-hunt the land…"

"Oh, Fireheart, be happy! You're always thinking so negatively. Look at WindClan, they've always had more than this, and they get along fine," the warrior gave his friend a nudge. "Lighten up, huh? Let's get to bed."

Soon it was time for the next Gathering. Tigerclaw went around gathering together the cats they would take. Fireheart was included, and as the sun began to set, he joined the group headed for Fourtrees. He noticed it was bigger than usual. Bluestar must have wanted to give the other Clans a small, but not-so-subtle warning: do not mess with us.

The group included Bluestar, Tigerclaw, Whiteclaw, Brackenfur, Cloudtail, Brightheart, Swiftfoot, Graystripe, Sandstorm, Dustpelt, Moonpaw, Timberpaw, Brindleface, Half-tail, Dappletail, One-eye, and himself.

"We should give them quite a surprise when we enter," Graystripe purred in Fireheart's ear. "Can you imagine?"

Fireheart purred in response.

Together, they started off to the gathering.

Presently, they reached the top of the slope. Lifting his head Fireheart easily caught the scent of the other three Clans. _Good. We'll give them all an entrance to remember._

Bluestar was thinking along the same lines. She waited a moment longer, then, with a flick of her tail, the whole group rushed into the clearing below. Fireheart felt his heart double in size with sheer pride as he raced among his sleek, muscled, well-fed, clan-mates.

The other Clans watched them stream in. Bluestar immediately went to the join the other leaders. Being the last Clan meant that the gathering would start soon after their arrival.

"Fireheart!"

He turned at the sound of his name, and saw his friend Onewhisker of WindClan.

"Hi there," he mewed.

"You have us a scare! So many cats!" Onewhisker shook his head in wonder. "Perhaps as many as we!"

"Cats of all Clans! Let us start this gathering!" Tallstar yowled. At once, the clearing fell silent.

"WindClan is happy to report the apprenticeship of two young cats: Downypaw and Crookedpaw! We bring with us today two new warriors: Pantherclaw and Crystalfur."

Nightstar stepped forward. "ShadowClan has welcomed new apprentices also: Icepaw, Earthpaw, and Blackpaw. Also, we bring a new warrior, Sharpclaw"

Crookedstar came up. "And RiverClan, too, brings good news. We welcome two new warriors, Runningbrook and Whitefur, and a new apprentice, Tumblepaw."

Bluestar came last. "And _we_ are proud to announce four new warriors and five new apprentices!"

More than several cats gasped.

"We welcome as these cats warriors: Brackenfur, Cloudtail, Brightheart, and Swiftfoot. Our new apprentices are Moonpaw, Timberpaw, Featherpaw, Leafpaw and Rockpaw."

Fireheart saw with satisfaction the shocked looks on some of the other clan cats' faces. They would not be troubled any time soon.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Did you see their faces? Oh, it was wonderful!" Graystripe laughed as they started back to camp. The shadows wisped around them, giving a clammy, frigid feeling.

"Yes. We gave them quite a scare, didn't we?" Brightheart purred with delight.

"We have nothing to fear now! No Clan will attack us after this!" Cloudtail declared with his youthful and blunt confidence.

"Fireheart? What's wrong?" Brackenfur asked. The ginger warrior was looking around uneasily.

"Well…where's Tigerclaw? I haven't seen him in a while…" Fireheart replied, glancing to his side to double-check his observation.

"You're right…maybe he went ahead?" Swiftfoot frowned.

"Bluestar?" Cloudtail hurried to catch up with their leader. "Where's Tigerclaw?"

The leader paused, uncertain. "What do you mean?"

"He isn't here-"

"Bluestar!"

The cats snapped their heads up at the sound of the voice. From the brushes jumped a small cat. It was panting hard, and bleeding from a wound along its flank. The fear-scent, mixed with the smell of fresh blood, hit Fireheart's nose like a cannon, sending warning signals racing across his body. His muscles tensed up, and his fur rose at an alarming rate.

"Firkit?" Bluestar asked in surprise, recognizing the kit. "What's going on?" She bristled. "Are we being attacked!"

The kit nodded in terror. "I…they came out of nowhere…we were waiting for you to come back, and all of a sudden, the camp exploded! Mother sent me here to get you –"

"Elders, stay here and take care of her. Brindleface and the apprentices, stay here, too. Take care of yourselves. The rest of you, come. Hurry!"

They didn't need her to tell them twice, and raced full speed towards camp.

When Fireheart burst through the main entry, he skidded to a stop, stunned, nearly causing Graystripe to crash into him from behind. It would have been funny had it not been so serious. The camp was overflowing with strange cats. _Rouges! _Fireheart realized, while his eyes darted around to sum up the problem. The camp was alive, entangled in confusion. The clearing was undulating with the movement of the many cats, going every which way like an ocean battered with numerous different storms.

But he didn't pause a second longer before plunging forward and tearing off a huge gray tom off of a bleeding Runningwind.

The battle quickly turned. Seeing that they were losing, the strange cats quickly turned and fled – those who could still flee, that is. Most of them were lying dead or dying on the ground. There was a sudden rush for the entrance, with the rouges scurrying to get away, and the ThunderClan Warriors pursuing them, thirsting for blood and revenge.

When they were gone, Fireheart stood panting, surprised by how quickly it was all over.

The camp was in ruins. Cats laid everywhere, and the stench of blood was overwhelming. The warrior's den was destroyed, as was the nursery.

"Fireheart."

He turned, and saw Sandstorm there. Here green eyes were filled with shock. She pressed her flank against his for comfort. "I can't believe it…who would so such a thing? Why would they just randomly attack us? We haven't scented them in our territory before."

Fireheart only shook his head and stayed silent. He had his own suspicions, but he felt this was not the time to go accusing the deputy of treason. The last thing the Clan needed now was for another constant to be ripped away.

A shrill wail floated up above the destruction to reach his ears, catching his attention. "My kits! Let me see them!"

He turned towards Yellowfang's den. Goldenflower was there, scratched and bleeding, and fighting her way towards the entrance. Cinderpaw was desperately trying to hold her back, but the smaller, crippled cat was no match for the desperate Queen.

Fireheart exchanged a glance with Sandstorm, and, by a silent agreement, they both turned and trotted side by side towards the struggling Queen and apprentice.

But Frostfur beat them there, and by the time they arrived, she was speaking in a firm but gentle voice, and leading Goldenflower away from the den.

Cinderpaw looked up at her former mentor as they approached. "Oh Fireheart, am I glad to see you. I thought we were done for!"

The warrior nuzzled her comfortingly. "It's over now. I don't see any dead among our Clan. That's always something to be thankful for."

The young cat sighed. "None dead _yet_, you mean."

Sandstorm frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Cinderpaw looked down, not meeting their eyes. "They got to the nursery. The kits were inside. Goldenflower was not…she was getting something to eat from the fresh-kill pile. The kits were left alone…Firkit got out, but, well…"

Sandstorm gasped, and Fireheart felt his blood run cold. "Are they ok!" he gasped.

"I…I'm not sure…"

xxxxxxxx

The camp was abuzz with anxious chatter. A couple of apprentices carried out the dead bodies of the rouges to be buried. Others were straightening up the camp, patching up the walls. A couple warriors who had been at the Gathering, and who had not been forced too fight much, went out to hunt.

A sudden yowl caught the camp's attention. Every cat's heads turned toward Bluestar's den.

There, pinned underneath Graystripe and Bluestar herself, was Tigerclaw.

There was a moment of stunned silence which overtook the clan as the cats stared at Tigerclaw, who was writhing beneath the two cats on top of him. The deputy was flailing helplessly, baring his fangs and apparently trying to snap off Graystripe's nose.

Goldenflower leapt to her feet. "Traitor!" she screeched. "You are the one who led those roughs here!"

Tigerclaw snarled. "And so what if I did! This Clan's fallen into chaos-" he might have said more, but Graystripe pressed an unsheathed paw to his throat, cutting off his air and drawing blood.

Bluestar was virtually radiating with fury. "I trusted you," she hissed. "Why? Why did you do this?"

Fireheart drew himself up, his time having finally come. "This is not his first traitorous act! It was he who killed Redtail! And he who caused Cinderpaw's injury!" He spat this out, glaring at the deputy with murderous eyes, relieved to be finally getting it off his chest.

The cats now turned to stare at him.

Tigerclaw growled hoarsely. "So Ravenpaw did tell you! He deserved to die-" Graystripe cut him off again, applying more pressure.

Bluestar's eyes were flashing with barely suppressed rage. She nudged Graystripe, who took the hint and backed off, though still keeping close enough that he would be able to jump in if necessary. Bluestar stared down at her deputy.

"Leave," she said coldly. "Leave, and never show your face in out territory again. You have shed the blood of ThunderClan cats. You are no longer one of us. If you are caught on our land, we will not hesitate to kill you. It would be a death you deserve."

She stepped off him, and he sprang to his paws. He looked around. "I tell you now, ThunderClan is doomed! We have stepped away from our ancient customs, sheltering kittypets and cats exiled from other Clans! There will be no future for any cat in this Clan! Anyone who wants to come with me is welcome!"

No cat moved.

"Come now!" Tigerclaw roared. "Longtail? Dustpelt? Darkstripe?"

Longtail shook his head. Fireheart could smell his fear-scent. "I…I won't abandon my Clan! There is no honor for any who breaks the Warrior code!"

Dustpelt growled in disgust. "I respected you, Tigerclaw! I learned a lot from you. I thought you were a great warrior. But I learned a lot from Redtail as well! He was my first mentor, and you killed him! I will never forgive that!" There were murmurs of agreement.

Darkstripe looked around, tail twitching uncertainly.

Then he stepped forward, his head held high. He pranced over to stand by Tigerclaw. "I will support you, Tigerclaw. I believe your words hold the truth."

The former deputy lifted his tail high in triumph. "I'm glad that at least _one_ ThunderClan cat has enough sense to see reason. The rest of you, mark my words: you're doomed." Turning, he stalked out of the camp, Darkstripe following at his heels. Neither cast so much as a glance back at their birth Clan.

The cats watched them leave, before slowly and uncertainly turning back to Bluestar.

To Fireheart, she looked older than ever. Her head was bowed, and she did not look up at her clan as she turned and went back into her den.

Fireheart felt himself starting to bristle. Bluestar was their leader…if she looked so defeated, chaos would break out any minute.

Whiteclaw had been thinking along the same lines. He quickly yowled, "Let's start repairing the camp! Bluestar will announce the deputy by moonhigh, as is the custom." Soothed by his calm, commanding voice, the cats went back to work. Whiteclaw himself slipped almost unnoticed into the leader's den.

Fireheart had always believed Whiteclaw to be some sort of miracle-worker. The warrior emerged from Bluestar's den later, looking pleased. He caught Fireheart's eyes and gave a reassuring nod, before going to help with the rebuilding.

That night, as the sun and moon exchanged places in the sky, Bluestar emerged. Jumping on top of the Highrock, she gave the traditional call. "Let all cats of ThunderClan gather beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!"

Without hesitation, her Clan came to her.

Once every cat was there, she looked calmly down at them, as she had done so many times in the past. There was a moment of silence before she spoke.

"We have suffered a major blow today. Perhaps it is StarClan's way of telling us not to get so full of pride. I feel that this is mostly my fault. Perhaps if I had noticed Tigerclaw's actions before, none of this would have happened. Perhaps if I had left more warriors here, there would be no life hanging in the balance now."

The cats shifted uneasily. The two kits in Yellowfang's den were on everyone's minds.

"I apologize to my Clan for my mistakes. And to Goldenflower especially."

"You are not at fault, Bluestar! It was Tigerclaw!" Goldenflower replied firmly.

Her clan-mates yowled agreements.

Their leader waited until they quieted again. "I am honored to have your support," she meowed, "and I am aware that you are waiting to know who your new deputy is. I have given it much thought, and in the end, I have chosen the cat whom I know will never betray us. He will fight for us till the end. I have no doubts in him. Though he was not born in this Clan, or even in the forest, he is as much a cat of ThunderClan as any of us here. Your new deputy is Fireheart!"

Fireheart felt his eyes widen to twice their usual size. _Him! Deputy of ThunderClan!_ Had Bluestar made a mistake!

Graystripe leaped to his paws with a yowl of joy. "Congratulations, Fireheart! I know you'll be better than Tigerclaw any day!"

The cats all seemed to spring to life. They crowed around him, offering their own congratulations. Even Dustpelt and Longtail gave him small nods.

That was enough for him.

The crowd parted and Bluestar came up. She touched noses with him. "Honor the Warrior Code, Fireheart. And organize tomorrow's patrols. Make sure no cat catches us by surprise again. I'm putting you right to work."

Fireheart nodded, still a bit breathless. "I'll see to it Bluestar. Thank you for this honor."

Bluestar purred. "I knew from the day we met I could count on you. Serve your Clan well." And she left, heading for Yellowfang's den.

Sandstorm came up, her green eyes glowing with pride. "I know you can do it, Fireheart! And anytime you need me, I'll be happy to be of service."

Fireheart felt his heart swell with pride. This was his Clan, and he felt he was finally being accepted as one of its own. Lifting his head to look around his clan-mates, he raised his voice. "I thank you all for your support. I know I'll be needing it in times to come."


	5. Chapter 5

Yes, it's true. I am _finally_ updating this story. And this time, I promise to get more chapters out sooner.

I've re-worked the whole fic a bit, fixing errors and such.

Oh, and THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT! For a fic that started with no outline or planning, it's turned out quite well. I wouldn't be here without all the people who left a review! Arigatou gozaimasu, minna-san!

* * *

_Fire and Shadows_

_Chapter 5_

The next few days were a blur in Fireheart's mind as he struggled to get used to his new duties. Later, he would try many times to recall his feelings and experiences during the first few days of his new life as deputy, but they always eluded him. All he would be able to dig out were faded images and snatches of conversations. By the time things finally started to settle down, it was seven days after the attack on their camp. Evening found Fireheart munching a mouse in the warrior's den, Graystripe by his side. They didn't speak, but the silence was a comfortable one, as they rested in the comfort of the others' presence.

The peace was short-lived, however. Just as Fireheart swallowed his last bite of dinner, there was a rush of pawsteps outside, and Sandstorm came crashing in. She realized too late that she had misjudged her speed, and scrabbled her paws madly in an unsuccessful attempt to brake in time. She ended up flipping over Fireheart as her momentum carried her forward, and landed in an ungainly heap, temporarily dazed..

"Sandstorm! What's up with you!" Graystripe yelped, springing out of her way.

Sandstorm ignored the disgruntled Graystripe and scrambled to her paws. She barely even paused to catch her breath before rounding on the bewildered Fireheart. "I just saw Stormkit!" she gasped, her eyes flashing with joy. "He was walking – Yellowfang says he'll be just fine!"

"That's good news," was all Fireheart could manage to come up with. He was still recovering from the shock Sandstorm's abrupt entrance had inflicted, and was desperately trying to slow his racing heart and relax his tensed muscles as the adrenaline left his veins and his bristled fur settled down again. "What about Shadowkit?" he added as he remembered the youngest kit.

Standstorm sighed, looking dejected, sitting down as her energy ebbed away. "I didn't get to see _him…_ Yellowfang chased me off."

"Well, at least he hasn't died yet," Graystripe muttered, finishing up his meal. "That's always a good sign."

"We should all learn from you, O Master of Optimism," the green-eyed warrior meowed sarcastically.

"At least _I_ do not go crashing into other cats in my haste to deliver a message!" the gray cat snarled.

"No, you just yowl their ears off, you speak so loud," Sandstrom retorted. Fireheart sighed, watching his two friends battle it out. Some things never changed.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

"I swear that's exactly what I saw!" Stormkit insisted excitedly, eyes glowing at all the attention he was getting. All the apprentices and his sister, Firkit, sat around him, listening with wide eyes. His new status as a war-veteran had earned him new respect among his peers, and they all wanted to hear a blow-by-blow account of exactly what had happened in that nursery. His wounds were healing nicely, and Yellowfang had agreed to let him out for a while. Whiskers twitching with pride and newfound importance, Stormkit continued his tale, "There was this strange glow, and then this rouge went flying out, crashing a hole through the wall! He flew through the air, just like that!"

"But that's not possible! You two could never have done that by yourselves!" Moonpaw protested, a bit miffed by all the attention the younger kit was getting. She was more interested than she would let on, though, and that was one of the only things keeping her there. That, and the fact that she knew the others wouldn't think too highly of her walking off from their new 'hero'.

"I didn't say _I _did it! I said I saw this strange glow. It was like…magic, like in the elders' stories! And I bet Shadowkit did it!" Stormkit nodded, as if to confirm himself.

"How?" Timberpaw challenged, fascinated.

"I know _I_ didn't do it, and there were no other cats nearby, except the rouges!" Stormkit meowed. "Who else could have done it?"

"Maybe StarClan wanted to spare your lives, and saved you that way," Leafpaw suggested. "I doubt Shadowkit did it, he's just an ordinary kit."

"But, right after it happened, Shadowkit just collapsed! No one had even scratched him yet! After, though, they jumped on us…" he broke off, shuddering at the memory. Firkit pressed herself against his flank comfortingly.

"Maybe you were just imagining things," Moonpaw meowed, carelessly brushing his words off. Magic was something without rules, and it was a tough thing for the mind to comprehend. It was easier to pretend it did not exist, no matter how convincing the evidence.

"Or maybe he fainted from shock," Rockpaw spoke up, his doubt showing clearly in his jade-green eyes.

Stormkit shrugged, the haunting memories flashing through his young mind, draining the energy from his body. He no longer wished to speak about it.

Xxxxxxxxx

"What do you mean, you don't know what's wrong?" Bluestar meowed sharply, gazing at her clan's medicine cat with eyes full of surprise.

Yellowfang growled softly in frustration. "I mean what I said, I can't figure out why he hasn't woken up yet! His wounds are healing nicely, and he should've regained consciousness by now! But he's sleeping as though dead. In fact, the only way I can tell he's alive is because he's breathing."

"You've never seen the likes of it before?" the clan leader asked doubtingly.

"No, Bluestar," Yellowfang sighed. "I've never _heard_ about it before. We've been getting some water into him, but if he doesn't wake up soon, he'll die of starvation."

Bluestar winced. The thought of having to inform the clan that the kit had survived the initial attack only to die afterwards was not a pleasant one. "Please, just do your best. That's always been enough," she begged.

Yellowfang sighed again, this time in defeat. "I'll try my best, Bluestar. You know I will. Let us just hope that'll be enough." And with that said, she left, her old head bowed.

Xxxxxxxx

Cinderpaw burst joyfully into the Warrior's den fourteen days after the attack, running as fast as she could around her crippled leg. "He's ok, Fireheart! He's alive!"

The ginger warrior jumped. "Who?" he asked, bewildered, as Cinderpaw tackled him in her joy.

"Shadowkit! He woke up, and he's eating right now. He's actually eating by himself! Yellowfang said he'll live! She also said she has no idea what caused him to wake up, but that's beside the point. He's _alive_!"

Fireheart sent up a grateful prayer to StarClan for the kit's life. "That's great news, Cinderpaw! Goldenflower must be ecstatic!"

"She is! And so are Stormkit and Firkit! You know, you'd never be able to tell Shadowkit wasn't born into the clan. He's as loved as he would be if he shared their blood."

Fireheart nodded, knowing it was the truth. Not only was Shadowkit well loved by his mother and littermates, his clan also adored him. The little black kit was very popular, admired for the intelligence and calm demeanor he showed even at such a young age.

_I'm glad, _he thought with a small purr of satisfaction. _I'm glad that he'd getting the love he deserves_. It could have been so much worse, he knew. The clan could have rejected him entirely, and made his life a living hell.

But the little kit was alive, recovering, and thriving from the love of those around him.

How he loved happy endings.

Xxxxxxxxxx

The camp was abuzz with the news.

Wherever he turned, he heard a variation of the same story. Here and there were added extra twists to spice things up. He growled with frustration. If these cats were to gossip, they could at least make it believable. Or stop listening to and believing everything that was being said. _Seriously._ Who could believe that a mere kit had been shooting fire from his mouth?

Half the clan, apparently.

Doing his best to restrain himself from tackling his nearest clan-mate and biting some sense into him, he kept his eyes trained straight forward and padded towards his destination. Arriving at the base of a cliff, he bunched up his muscles and easily leapt up into a small cave opening.

"You wanted to see me?"

A sleek cat with glimmering chestnut fur rose to its feet, and gazed at him calmly with eerie, ice blue eyes. "Yes. Confirm the rumors," the cat commanded without even pretending to bother with the usual pleasantries.

He snorted roughly. "Me? What makes you think you can trust _me?_"

The other cat's eyes narrowed slightly in annoyance. "Just because I do not like your attitude, does not mean you do not have skills in the Gift."

He flicked his tail in amusement, tuning to give the spiky-white fur on his shoulder a loving lick. "Oh my…was that a compliment?"

"Just get on with it," his companion snarled through gritted teeth.

He let out a slight purr of laughter, before deciding he might as well comply. "They're half-true."

Blue eyes lit up briefly in surprise. "Only half?"

"Have you heard what is being said out there? They have the kit sprouting wings like a dragon and burning down the forest." His ear flicked in irritation. Cats could be _so_ stupid.

"I see. But the rest is true enough?"

"As far as I can tell, if you take away all the dress-up, the original story should be as close to the truth as it can get."

"Ah," the chestnut cat murmured, sitting slowly down on his hunches. "Ah," he repeated quietly. "Will this be good or bad for the clan?"

He shrugged carelessly. "Really, it depends on how you see it. It might be better in the long run, you know – the clan needs a leader it knows StarClan appointed. However, in the near future, things could very well get messy. Especially for you."

His companion let out a bitter and tired laugh. "Yes. They will only follow me so far. And I know they will want to take him back as soon as possible."

Crimson-brown eyes blinked in slight surprise. "You don't think that is wise? It would be better for him to grow up and train in the clan he is destined to lead."

Ice blue eyes hardened in response. "He is only a kit. To suddenly wrench him away from the only family he has known…will he ever forgive us for that? How do you expect him to trust us?"

He eyed the other cat thoughtfully, before answering. "It is for the good of the clan. _His_ clan. And, he being who he is, there are ways to convince him of how badly we need him."

They were silent for a short while.

He broke the silence with a soft sigh. "No matter what happens, he will end up back in this clan. He cannot have the best of both worlds. It is not better to make sure he's prepared for the responsibility early on?"

The brown cat gave a subtle groan. "I really do not know…and in the end, what I think may not matter. The clan has the power to overrule me."

"True. But they wouldn't dare if the First Warrior backs you up."

Blue eyes widened in surprise. "You would do that?"

"It depends. Convince me."


	6. Chapter 6

Fire and Shadows

Chapter 6

_Fireheart ran._

_He felt his heart thudding madly, struggling to provide blood to fuel his straining muscles. He felt all the fur along his spine bristle with the dread of impending doom. He was all but overwhelmed by his own fear-scent. And still he ran. Ran, and ran, and ran. Because if he stopped, his world would surely crash. His life would surely end._

_He dared not look back at his hunter. He did not want to see. He did not need to see. He could sense the absolute malice gaining on him. His ears picked up the terrible sound of blood-curdling laughter in the wind, getting louder with every pawstep he took._

_He had never been so afraid of anything in his life._

_The sky was dark. The sky was so dark. His soul cried for StarClan's comfort, strength, and guidance. There was no doubt in his mind the StarClan could rescue him from this horrendous monstrosity behind him. But StarClan did not answer. Perhaps they could not. Perhaps they did not know of his crisis at all._

_Or perhaps, they simply did not wish to help him._

_That thought chilled him even more, adding despair to his growing list of dark emotions._

_Where was he running to? If StarClan had abandoned him, there was nowhere safe, in the forest, or in the entire world. Without StarClan's backing him, who could give him a place of solace? Who could provide him with a fortress strong enough to withstand the monster's wrath?_

_He was so very, very afraid._

_The forest was to be savaged, torn beyond recognition, and swallowed up. The Clan would be lost forever. All his friends, his home, those who had become closer than family to him…all would be lost forever. He was sure of it. For not even all the clans together could take on this beast and survive to tell about it to future generations._

_It was gaining. It was so very, very near._

_And he, he was so very, very tired._

_And yet…_

_And yet..._

_"Don't give up, Fireheart."_

_He heard the whisper in the light gust of wind that blew into his ears. This was a different type of wind, not the biting, tearing gusts that were raging around him, but a warm, caressing summer breeze that sent warmth to his fear-frozen mind. He heard the soft, familiar voice, filled with all the tender emotions that the Beast had chased out of his heart, and he could see the speaker clearly in his mind._

_"Don't give up, Fireheart."_

_Then there was a cat running beside him, her slender form flashing above the earth, her pawbeats matching his exactly, falling into the pattern with him. Her mere presence made his entire being swell with hope, and his weary muscles regain the strength they desperately needed._

_"Don't give up, Fireheart. No matter how bleak things may seem. No matter how hopeless, how impossible, how desperate the situation, don't you ever give up. Even when it appears as if all is lost, and doomed to failure, remember that there can be no darkness without light. When the darkness surrounds you, Fireheart, search for that light, and hang on to it with all your mind, soul, and strength. I cannot always be there. We cannot always be there. But we are watching, Fireheart, our love is with you, always. The Darkness is coming, Fireheart. The Fear is coming, the Shade is coming. These words are all that I can give you."_

_Fireheart trembled, but did not break a stride._

_"But I'm scared. I'm scared!"_

_"I know, Fireheart, I know. But you are not alone. We cannot aid you in this one. But we have children near you, much nearer than you know. They will help you through, Fireheart. Do not give up. We need your strength. Your Clan needs your strength. The whole forest needs your strength."_

_"Why me? Why must I be the only strong one? You have no idea how afraid I am!"_

_She gave him a sympathetic look. "Of course I know, Fireheart. I am afraid for you. But it's alright to be afraid. Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather, the mastery of fear._

_"Remember, Fireheart, remember these words well. The Darkness is coming. The day will come when the Stars are forbidden to shine. But our dear children are near, Fireheart. When the Stars cannot be seen, the Dragons will come, and will fight by your side._

_"Remember my words well…don't ever give up."_

_Then Spottedleaf was gone._

_The wind, as if sensing the last of the light had disappeared, picked up and began to holler. The night became impossibly darker, and the shadows pressed in, suffocating him. Terrified, Fireheart could only run towards his unknown destination, Spottedleaf's words ringing like a mantra in his otherwise paralyzed mind._

_"Don't give up."_

_He was weary and weak. Running was life. Running, running…_

_Just when he was about to collapse from utter and pure exhaustion, a shadow appeared up ahead. Lighting flashed, cracking electric blue against the otherwise frighteningly dark sky. This new shadow…was different. And Fireheart knew that was where he needed to go. He needed to get to this shadow that spoke not of death and despair, but of safety and protection. _

_Such was the nature of darkness; it was a double-edged sword._

_As he grew closer, the shadow up ahead took on a definite form. He struggled to run even faster, his paws flying madly over the bare earth. Safety…safety was so close…_

_As if sensing its query was nearing a site of solace, the Beast suddenly let loose a furious roar, and charged full speed ahead._

_With a desperate yowl, Fireheart flung himself recklessly forward._

_He sailed through the air, and landed in an ungraceful heap._

_He was dead. He was so dead – _

_A shadow fell over him. It had come when he had fallen._

_Fireheart looked up, and felt his heart nearly stop._

_Towering above him was a jet back dragon. Its huge wings were unfurled, its fangs were bared, and its metal claws were placed protectively a few feet above his head. It glared into the Darkness, and snarled._

_The Beast faltered, uncertain for the first time._

_The Dragon snarled again, and opened its jaws wide.A torrent of red-blue flame shot forth. The Darkness cried out, and grudgingly, bitterly retreated. For now. Fireheart knew it was not yet finished. It would return. But for now, for now, he was safe._

_Frieheart looked up at his savior in awe._

_The Dragon lowered it majestic head and looked down to meet his gaze._

_There was another crack of lightning that split the dark sky._

_In that split second where the sharp light sliced though the surrounding gloom, Fireheart saw the color of the Dragon's eyes for the first time._

_With a jolt, he realized they were crimson._

_And then…_

Amber eyes snapped open.

He was awake. Awake, in the Warrior's den, among his unhurt, blissfully unaware clanmates.

There would be no more sleep for the ginger warrior tonight.

The warning from StarClan was still too fresh.

The fear of the Beast was still too sharp.

And every time he closed his eyes…

…he saw a pair of crimson orbs.

They were unsettlingly familiar.

He knew. He knew where he had seen them before. He lived with the only being he knew to such a shade of eyes.

The little black cat in question was sound asleep in the apprentices' den. The ceremony had been held only mere hours ago.

Fireheart now found himself a bit wary of his own, new apprentice.

* * *

Yes, it's true! I am updating twice in as many weeks. It's a miracle! 

I don't care if it's a short chapter. Don't burst my bubble.

See? I'm keeping my promise to work on my stories.

By the way, I moved this fic to the Warriors section of I had not known there _was _one until...oh...fifteen minutes ago. Since this is admittedly (for now) more of a Warriors fic than YGO, I have decided to give it to its rightful place. Sorry for any inconvienience.

_Please_ review, everyone! (Insert 'Begging Kitty Eyes' here). Even just one word would be awesome! Thank you!


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